Primrose's Promise
Summary : I saw the Hunger Games in the cinema a few days ago and I thought I would write a fanfic about Primrose and Katniss and what she might have said to Prim when she realised that she could be selected for the Reaping. In this story, Prim is 7 and Kat is 12.
Disclaimer : All characters belong to Suzanne Collins. All non-book plot belongs to me.
"Kat, what's the Reaping?"
Katniss looked up from where she was reading her book to look at her seven year old sister.
"Why do you wanna know?"
"I heard Mummy talking about it. She said that you were going to the Reaping this year, what is it?"
Kat put her book away in the small bookcase in their shared bedroom and went to sit on her sister's bed.
"The Reaping is...sort of a lottery, or a tombola."
"What's the prize?"
"It's...a competition. If you are picked out of the bowl, then you'll go into the Hunger Games."
"What's the Hunger Games?"
"It's a challenge,...to see who can get to the food first."
"How many people get picked from the tombola?"
"One boy and one girl, from each District."
"Am I going?"
"Not for another five years. Goodnight, Prim."
Katniss made to get up, but Primrose stopped her, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Katniss?"
"Yes?"
"I don't want you to die!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Out of twenty-four children, only one of them will ever come back. If you're chosen, you have a one in twenty-four chance of surviving. Kat, you can't go!"
"I don't have a choice, Prim. Everyone has to."
She held her little sister in her arms as she sobbed, soothing her and comforting her. After a long while, Katniss gently pulled her sister's head around, so that Prim was staring straight into her eyes.
"Prim, listen to me. You will never be picked for the Hunger Games, I promise."
"But what if I am? I don't wanna die."
"You won't. And if you ever are picked, I will never let them take you away."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They linked their little fingers in a sign that the promise had been made and fell asleep, thinking they would never have to put it into practice.
Little did they realise how wrong they were.